Blues Insights Peggy Stevinson Bair ©2018

Kiefer Sutherland Gives Knuckleheads in Kansas City a Full Tour of “Reckless”

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An overflow crowd packed themselves in at Knuckleheads’ outdoor stage in what turned out to be a lucky Friday 13th for Kiefer Sutherland and his fans. Dark clouds that threatened to ruin the outdoor stage setting devolved into a few moments of light sprinkles before it turned into a perfectly balmy spring evening.

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As famous as Sutherland is for his acting ventures, his music, his band and his songwriting seem to bring him an even greater pleasure. Sutherland was relaxed and gracious and totally in his element as a musician. He looked like he was loving everything about being at Knuckleheads, which may arguably one of the most unpretentious little roadhouses in the country. He must have thanked the fans at least a dozen times for showing up to be a part of the “Reckless” tour.

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Sprinkling in just the right amount of anecdotes to introduce some of his own songs, Sutherland appears to be a man who wants to feel all the edges of life – and write about them, which clearly was connecting with the some 1,000 fans last night. While he commands plenty of energy on stage, he also allows himself moments of groove that is the private pleasure of musicians who enter the zone during a performance. And yet he often turned to the crowd and spread his arms, seeming to drink in the energy and love from them.

Somebody yelled out, “I love you!” and he quickly replied, pointing from the stage “I love you back!”

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If you don’t believe him, then give him an Oscar – but I don’t think he was acting. The dude truly looked like he was having the time of his life hanging out with a bunch of regular people singing about regular stuff that goes on in any ordinary human life. And, some of that stuff is probably reckless. But, hey, at least we’re all in this together.

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Knuckleheads was just the third stop in the Reckless tour, so if you are interested in grabbing a great show and some great merch and CDs, check out the tour dates for the one closest to you. You can also check Sutherland’s Facebook page at Kiefer Sutherland.


Upcoming Tour dates for Kiefer Sutherland “Reckless” tour:

April 14  Bourbon Theatre – Lincoln, Neb.
April 17  Bluebird Theatre – Denver, Colo.
April 18  Park City Live – Park City, Utah
April 20  Crystal Bay – Crown Room – Crystal Bay, Nev.
April 21  Fremont Theatre – San Luis Obispo, Calif.
April 22  Mystic Theatre – Petaluma, Calif.
April 24 Crystal Palace – Bakersfield, Calif.
April 26  Coach House – San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
April 27  Music Box – San Diego, Calif.
April 28  Red Rock Casino Resort – Las Vegas, Nev.
May 1  Cactus Theater – Lubbock, Texas
May 2  Antone’s – Austin, Texas
May 4  Billy Bob’s – Fort Worth, Texas
May 5  Island View Casino – Gulfport, Miss.
May 7  The Cowan (Topgolf) – Nashville, Tenn.
May 10 The Phoenix – Toronto, Ontario
May 20  Birchmere – Alexandria, Va.
May 23 Bottle & Cork – Dewey Beach, Del.
May 25  Stone Pony – Asbury Park, N.J.
May 26  Bethel Woods – Liberty, N.Y.
May 27  Daryl’s House – Pawling, N.Y.
May 28  Stephen’s Talkhouse – Long Island, N.Y.
June 7  Kantine – Cologne, Germany
June 8  TivoliVredenberg – Utrecht, Netherlands
June 9  Parkbuehne – Leipzig, Germany
June 10  Gruenspan – Hamburg, Germany
June 12  Columbia Theatre – Berlin
June 13  Hirsch – Nuermberg, Germany
June 14  X-Tra – Zurich
June 16  Teatro Barcelo – Madrid
June 17  Bikini – Barcelona, Spain
June 19  Zappa – Antwerp, Belgium
June 21  Electric Ballroom – London
June 22  Waterfront – Norwich, England
June 23  Black Deer Festival – East Sussex, England
June 25  O2 Academy Oxford – Oxford, England
June 26  Komedia – Bath, England
June 28  Albert Hall – Manchester, England
June 29  Queens Hall – Edinburgh, Scotland
June 30  The Academy – Dublin

 

It should not go without mention that two acts that opened for Sutherland for this event on Friday, April 13th at Knuckleheads were  two of the most righteous, crowd-rousing performers a headliner could hope for – first Ian Moore, touring for his new EP “Toronto!”  followed by Macon, GA singer-songwriter Rick Brantley. Between their two separate performances, they slathered the crowd with tasty tunes that came to a crescendo when Brantley insisted the crowd sing the chorus of “Just a Little Bit More” from his album “Hi-Fi”.

Rick Brantley brought his homespun lyrics and enthusiasm to Knuckleheads Friday, April 13, 2018. ©2018 Blues Insights/Peggy Stevinson Bair

Brantley’s boyish smile and youthful good looks are coupled with stage confidence and enthusiasm as he coaxes the audience into his lair of his superb storytelling lyrics.

And no one can argue that Ian Moore isn’t willing to blur the lines of any music genre he feels like playing. From blues to rock to country, it becomes clear that Moore is one of the rare humans one could call a “true artist”: one who isn’t interested in categories but, rather, in following his own muses. You can waste time trying to fit him into a box or you can just come along with him and enjoy where he takes you.

So, Mr. Sutherland couldn’t have had a better lineup for his Friday 13th night in Kansas City. In fact, for the $25 ticket price, the only thing remotely shocking about it was that concert goers got a bloody bargain.

Ian Moore performed at Kansas City’s Knuckleheads Friday, April 13, 2018 as part of his “Toronto!” tour. ©2018 Blues Insights/Peggy Stevinson Bair